1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to air blasting devices for plumbing purposes that clean, clear, unclog, or unstop drains or pipes and, more specifically, to improved devices having both an increased volumetric displacement and handle arms and a shaft all in separate planes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toilet plungers are often found in near proximity to most restrooms, utility drains, and garbage disposals to remedy any unsightly, malicious blockages which tend to cause the plumbing system to fail. The most widely used plunger is a standard design having two components: a distal bottom of a generally vertical, wooden shaft attached to a crest of a plunger portion. There are a variety of designs for plunger portions, but they namely comprise inverted rubber cups with flat rims or flanges that form seals over the mouth of a drain or pipe. A push of the shaft towards the mouth causes the cup to depress, which forces any air and/or water therein towards the blockage to break up the clog.
An effective plunge is dependent on both the vacuum formed by the seal and the degree of force used on the shaft. The present invention discloses an improved handle atop the shaft, which provides a better and more ergonomic means to manipulate the plunger. A search of the prior art reveals no references that teach the present invention; however, some patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,299,519 to Garry teaches a “combination toilet plunger and brush” wherein a crossbar member at the top of a handle includes a rotatable knob. A pivoting sleeve and a retractor grip with friction members allow a user to squeeze against the vertical handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,621 to Russell teaches a “garbage disposal cleaning device” having a vertical shaft with a perpendicularly bent handle at its distal top.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,089,605 to Jiang teaches a “telescoping plunger” having a rotatable, lockable gripping handle wrapped around the vertical, distal top telescoping member of a collapsible rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,680 to Tolbert furthermore teaches a “collapsible toilet plunger” having a plurality of telescoping sections that collapse the handle for easy concealable storage.
The foregoing references all direct a user to wrap his or her hands around a vertical shaft or a horizontal crossbar. The present invention improves on those grips by means of a handle that comprises two mirrored, opposing V-shaped arms at the distal end of a shaft angled in two planes. Neither arm nor the shaft shares a vertical or a horizontal plane; hence, all of the arms and the shaft travel in separate planes.